React Meets the Game Loop: When Paradigms Collide

React's declarative, state-driven rendering model fundamentally conflicts with the imperative, frame-by-frame requirements of 60fps game engines. Developers must navigate escape hatches like useRef and useEffect while avoiding pitfalls such as React's StrictMode inadvertently spawning duplicate canvases and WebSocket connections. This deep dive reveals critical architectural constraints that any developer building real-time interactive web experiences needs to understand.